High School Cohorts Build Relationships, Foster Accountability

The presence of student cohorts in High School has provided yet another layer of opportunity for the SVC staff to pour into the lives of our students — academically, spiritually and relationally.

High School students are assigned to a cohort (a small group of between 8 – 12) with which they will remain throughout the entire tenure of their time at SVC. Each cohort has one staff member — the same staff member — who stays with the group until their graduation.

Cohorts meet once a week during a time which is built into the High School schedule. To ensure that the time is well spent, all staff leaders are provided with curriculum to use. Although the curriculum is primarily geared to topics related to college and career readiness, it also allows for other meaningful discussions, such as responsible digital citizenship and effective communication.

But beyond the tangible learning which takes place within the cohort context, there are other extremely valuable benefits. Students develop friendships with peers whom they might not otherwise get to know at such a deep level. They also build meaningful relationships with their staff leaders who frequently become mentors.

“What might start out feeling a little unnatural — being grouped with people you don’t necessarily know — grows into something very natural and beautiful over time,” said Trish Bergen, Dean of Academics. “It fosters a level of accountability that can have a tremendously positive impact on a student’s success, particularly in the critical junior and senior years,” added Jamie MacIntosh, Director of College & Career Guidance.

Cohorts have been widely used for years at the college level, most notably in the arena of post-graduate work. More recently, they have been implemented in secondary education (High School) by some of the most highly-regarded private schools.

If you would like to learn more about the SVC High School Cohort Program, please contact Mrs. Bergen at tbergen@svcschools.org.